Toddler stair block

Abstract

A child safety barrier for stairs that is placed on the lower step of a stairway is block-like for filling the space overlying the lower step in depth and laterally, and has an upper surface having a downwardly curved slope from its highest point at the step rear riser to the forward edge of the step. The barrier prevents a young child from climbing the stairs by obstructing their access to the step and the sloped surface causes their knees and hands to slide off the barrier, as their upper bodies are not strong enough to pull themselves over the barrier. The barrier is preferably composed of a pressure molded polyurethane material, which provides a closed outer skin that is easily cleaned and an inner porous structure that is compressible to a flat shape by the weight of an older child or adult allowing easy navigation.

Description

REFERENCES CITEDU.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS[0001]U.S. Pat. No. 1,235,411 July 1917 Andrews[0002]U.S. Pat. No. 2,270,909 January 1942 Spizer[0003]U.S. Pat. No. 2,535,544 December 1950 McKinley . . . 182 / 106[0004]U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,863 December 1965 Ludlow . . . 182 / 230[0005]U.S. Pat. No. 3,303,906 February 1967 Bouwmeester . . . 182 / 106[0006]U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,195 March 1967 Singer . . . 182 / 230[0007]U.S. Pat. No. 3,372,772 March 1968 Singer . . . 182 / 230[0008]U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,146 February 1969 Bair . . . 182 / 106[0009]U.S. Pat. No. 3,439,775 April 1969 Henrie . . . 182 / 138[0010]U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,281 July 1973 Gimbel . . . 272 / 56.5 R[0011]U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,429 March 1974 Johnston . . . 272 / 56.5 R[0012]U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,197 April 1986 Spurling . . . 182 / 106[0013]U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,225 May 1987 Coutier . . . 182 / 106[0014]U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,691 June 1990 Brawer . . . 182 / 106FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0015]Not ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0016]1. Field of ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]The present invention provides a soft, child friendly stair barrier in the form of a block with a downwardly curved slope at its forward edge providing a sliding surface that prevents young children from climbing onto the block. The barrier however, easily compresses to a flat surface under the weight of an adult allowing them to use the stairs with out the need to negotiate a gate or step over an obstacle. The compression of the block allows an adult to continue everyday activities such as carrying objects up and down the stairs while providing a constant barrier to young children that may attempt to climb the stairs.

Problems solved by technology

One disadvantage to the safety gate for use on stairways is that in many cases it can be difficult to install, as banisters may not provide adequate surface to obtain the required friction.

The lateral surface also may not be adequate for the mounting of hinges.

A hinge installation is also a more permanent installation and as a result necessitates unsightly holes, which remain after the gate is removed requiring additional repairs.

Another disadvantage of the safety gate is that this obstacle is not only an impediment for the child but the adult as well.

The adult either must open or remove and replace the gate or step or hop over which can be very difficult and especially cumbersome.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,691 (Brawer) discloses a stair barrier that provides a sloped plane that spans two steps but which is still very difficult for an adult to traverse.

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